From cherry pie to apple pie to lemon pie (and don’t forget peach pie!), let’s move onto another fan-favorite flavor this month: blueberry.
If you haven’t made a pie yet this month, let me try to encourage you to get in the kitchen ASAP. Today we’re making blueberry pie! Ditching that top pie crust and sprinkling the whole thing with a buttery streusel crumble topping. It’s like blueberry pie and blueberry crisp in one. Did you read that? Literally the two best summer desserts on the planet in one pie dish. 8 slices of blueberry heaven. The stars have aligned and I’m declaring this the best of the best when it comes to blueberry desserts.
(Though this lemon blueberry cake begs to differ.)
I had some trouble with this pie! I tested it 4 or 5 different times. Honestly I lost count after the 3rd and everything after that was a blurry blueberry mess.
With my determination (but mostly a craving for blueberry crumble pie) I conquered this little blueberry beast. The pesky little issue each time? Blueberry soup. Sloshy blueberry soup on top of a doughy uncooked pie crust topped with much-too-buttery crumble on top. Can there ever be too much butter? YES. I’ve seen it. And it’s not pretty.
It’s a tall order, but I cracked the code. The filling is juicy– like the best blueberry pie fillings are– the bottom crust is golden brown and flaky, and the crumble topping keeps its shape.
So, how do we get there?
There are 3 components to this blueberry crumble pie.
The Pie Crust
Use a solid recipe that can stand up to the heavy and juicy blueberries on top. My pie crust yields 2 crusts so you can pop one into your freezer for the next time you crave blueberry pie. Which, if you’re anything like me, will be about 5 seconds after your last slice of this guy. Make sure to cook the blueberry pie long enough, too. This will help guarantee (1) a golden brown crust and (2) a thicker filling. If using a glass pie dish, which I strongly recommend, you can see when the crust on the sides is browning perfectly.
The Blueberry Filling
Let’s do all we can to keep it on the sturdy side. I typically make blueberry pie with cornstarch as the thickener, but a couple tries proved this isn’t enough in a blueberry crumble pie. Why not? All the butter in the topping melting down creates our not-so-beloved blueberry soup filling. So I gave a mixture of flour AND cornstarch a whirl and was pleasantly pleased with the results. I’ve discussed this before, but I prefer cornstarch as the thickener in summer berry pies. (Read why in my blueberry pie recipe.) Flour weighs things down, but proved to be just the ticket underneath this buttery crumble topping. Success!
The Crumble Topping
We want a crumble topping that can hold its shape, crisp up, and generally avoid turning into goo. The trick with this crumble topping is to use the coldest butter ever. You’ll mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together then cut in super cold butter. Finally, mix in the oats. I add the oats last because I don’t want them to break down when I cut in the butter. I want them to stay whole. Whole oats = more texture on top of your pie!
There’s an obnoxious amount of crumble topping, so I hope you’re not opposed to brown sugar + cinnamon + butter + oats. You’ll flip for my apple crisp and lemon crumble bars, too!
And, like with all pies, the colder everything stays the better pie success you have. Whenever you’re not directly working with a layer, keep it in the fridge. For example: after you roll out the pie crust and place into the pie dish, refrigerate it while you prepare the filling. Likewise, after you add the filling to the crust, refrigerate the whole thing as you prepare the crumble topping.
If you want to dig in while the pie is still warm, be my guest! But I will warn you– it will be pretty juicy. I find the best time is to wait until it fully cools. This takes several hours but luckily, blueberry pie is THEE best make-ahead recipe. It’s even better the next day! Just keep it covered and refrigerate it. Bring to room temperature before serving. Add a scoop of ice cream and a dollop of homemade whipped cream for good measure. Pie-fection.
Enjoy this satisfying blueberry dessert for all your summer celebrations including Father’s Day, 4th of July, graduation parties, Labor Day, and more.
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Blueberry Crumble Pie
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Use up summer’s fresh blueberries in this buttery, juicy, and completely delicious blueberry crumble pie. It tastes even better with ice cream on top!
Ingredients
- homemade pie crust (my recipe makes 2 crusts; you’ll just need 1)*
- 5 and 1/2 cups (800g) fresh blueberries*
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (41g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Crumble Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (46g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 2/3 cup (57g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare my pie crust recipe through step 5.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, blueberries, granulated sugar, flour, cornstarch, lemon juice, and zest together until thoroughly combined. It will be pretty flour-y. That’s ok. Place filling in the refrigerator until needed in step 4.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (you can freeze the 2nd for later use, see note). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the cold filling into the crust and discard the leftover juices in the bottom of the bowl, if any. Flute or crimp the edges of the crust. Place pie in the refrigerator until needed in the next step.
- Make the crumble: Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the brown sugar mixture until coarse crumbs are formed. Stir in the oats and sprinkle over pie.
- Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. I also loosely cover the whole pie with aluminum foil to prevent the crumble from browning too quickly as well.
- Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead / Freezing Instructions: A couple ways to make ahead of time! Make 1 day in advance– after it cools, cover tightly and keep in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared filling can also be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Special Tools: Colorful Bowls | Lemon Zester | Lemon Juicer | Pastry Blender | Pie Mat | Wood Rolling Pin | Scalloped Glass Pie Dish | Pastry Brush | Eat Dessert First Fork
- Remaining Pie Dough: You can freeze the 2nd pie dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Blueberries: I strongly suggest using fresh blueberries, not frozen. The pie will be quite soupy if using frozen. If you decide to use frozen, do not thaw first. The pie will take several more minutes in the oven due to the increased liquid. Again, I highly encourage fresh.
Keywords: blueberry crumble pie
Try my brown butter blueberry peach crisp next!
My 3-year old birthday boy requested a blueberry pie for his birthday and this was the first time I’ve ever made a blueberry pie. It was delicious! I actually used a pecan crust recipe that I use for most of our pies, which complemented the rest of the filling and crumble very well. I wasn’t sure how everything else would turn out as I just have whole Einkorn wheat flour and used Sucanat for the white sugar, but it turned out perfectly! I guess I made a lot of changes, but it is still your recipe. I only remember ever eating one blueberry pie before, which was way too sweet! I’m so happy that this one is just perfect with the lemon juice and lemon zest and just the right amount of sweet! Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Sally,
When you say to shield the crust after the first 20 min of baking, do you mean after the initial 20 min…or after the reduction to 375?
Hi Kristen, usually after the very first 20 minutes when you begin to see those edges browning quickly.
Hi Sally. I have been surfing the web for recipes for blueberry crumb pie. I’ve noticed that some instruct the baker to prebake the crust before filling it with the blueberries. Your recipe does not call for prebaking. What difference would happen? Thank you for your thoughts.
Hi Shari, If you are using my crust recipe I do not find blind baking the crust necessary. The long bake time guarantees a nice golden brown crust!
My daughter specifically requested a blueberry crumble pie. Although I can bake fairly well, pies have never been on the list. Also, I don’t really care for blueberry pie. When searching the internet for a recipe, yours popped up, and since I have used your site/recipes before with much success, I knew this was the one.
I followed the recipe and instructions exactly.
I put the pie aside to cool for the requisite 3 hours, but when we finished supper it had only been cooling for 2.5 hours, so I took a chance and tested one piece. It held together okay, but did ooze a bit in the pan. We didn’t touch it again for the remaining 30 minutes, and voila! It made all the difference. It had set nicely. The 3 hour (minimum) cool time is essential.
The end result was fantastic! The crust was perfect, the filling was flavourful, and the crumble was crunchy goodness. (Yes, I had a piece to be polite. 😉 ).
I will definitely use this crust to try my hand at other types of pie. It was straightforward to make, and perfect results.
★★★★★
This was delicious! I am definitely a novice pie maker, but it came out perfectly. I used pie crust dough that I had leftover from a different recipe, but otherwise followed the recipe, and served it with fresh whipped cream. If I had more blueberries I’d make another it went so fast, although it’s probably good that I don’t!
★★★★★
I want to make this for my boyfriend but he prefers mostly fruit. Could I leave the bottom layer of pie crust out?
I recommend using my recipe for either Brown Butter Blueberry Peach Crisp or Strawberry Vanilla Crisp and you can change up the type of fruit you use if you wish.
I made this pie today. It is wonderful. The advice about allowing the pie to cool a few hours before serving really made a difference in how well the pie sliced and served. The filling is thick and he blueberry flavor really shines through.
I learn a lot from reading and using your recipes. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Sally! There is a blackberry field close to a friend’s house and we were planning to make a pie out of them. Would you recommend the same ingredients for the filling if I substitute all the blueberries for blackberries? Perhaps a bit more cornstarch? Thank you! Love your blog!
Hi Amalia – A blackberry pie would be delicious! For your first attempt I would keep the rest of the recipe the same. Blackberries might be a bit juicer than blueberries so just discard the juice at the bottom of the bowl when filling your crust so you don’t end up with a soggy pie. Enjoy!
I have made this pie numerous times, always with rave reviews, so I’m finally getting around to saying “thank you” for providing us with this absolutely delectable (and easy) blueberry pie recipe. It’s turned out perfect every time and leaves my family members or guests gushing with compliments & wanting more!
★★★★★
Can I substitute fresh blueberries with dried blueberries?
I don’t recommend it!
Have you tried this with a top crust rather than crumble? Worth a shot, or should I look for a different recipe that calls for a double crust?
Hi Julie! I have a recipe for a true blueberry pie if you’re interested in trying it! You could also add a top crust to this crumble recipe if you prefer!
Hi Sally,
I plan on making this pie within the next couple of days. It looks and sounds scrumptious. Do I bake the pie in the lowest part of the oven?
Thank you and God bless,
Brenda
Hi Brenda! I usually bake traditional pies on a lower rack because the top crust can easily over-brown, but this crumble pie is fine in the center of the oven.
Made this as per recipe with fresh picked Illinois blueberries! Just added a sprinkle of cinnamon. It was fabulous. Crumble pies are my favorite
★★★★★
Sally, I have to apologize…..I cheated and bought the crust. Pillsbury ready to go. The filling was amazing. I didn’t QUITE have enough blue berries, so I had a container of raspberries and put those in. I also read the recipe wrong and didn’t put the butter in the crumb topping correctly. Butter was still in small cubes and just eye balling it, I put the topping on and spread the butter around as evenly as I could. The pie was AMAZING!!! I have to say that when I am looking for a recipe I start with ‘Sally’s Baking Addiction” to start my search. Im never disappointed! Thanks Sally
★★★★★
Can you use premade crust for the bottom?
Sure can!
I made this yesterday but it turned out with a very strong lemon taste that overpowered the blueberries. Is this the way the pie filling was intended or perhaps my blueberries were too sour to begin with? Feeling disappointed because it was an all day affair making this pie.
Hi Nicole! I wonder if the berries weren’t sweet enough. The lemon is supposed to brighten up their flavor, not take away. If you decide to make the pie again, you can reduce the lemon juice and zest.
I want to make individual pies. How would I adjust the cooking time? I’m new to your web sight and am LOVING it!!
Hi Therese! It would depend on the exact size of the pies. I can’t say for sure but just use your best judgment. Browned topping usually means they’re done!
I just made this, and it was incredible! Thanks! I loved how the lemon zest brought a bright flavor to the pie while the crumble brought it back down to a coziness/homey level! I almost used frozen blueberries and decided not to after reading some reviews.
The few things I changed were:
– Making 1.5 pie crusts instead of two. I usually run out if I only make enough for a bottom crust. I used some of the extra dough to embellish the pie crust with three short braids around the edges of the crust.
– I didn’t stir the filling very much for fear of it becoming soupy. This meant there were some flour clumps in the filling mixture that didn’t really get distributed in the filling.
Could have knocked me over with a feather when my very critical oldest advised me that this was one of the BEST desserts I have ever made. And this very carb-adverse son had seconds. Epic. So great job Sally! Sorry for all your troubles perfecting the recipe — but my family thanks you! They only waited 1 hour after baking to dive in, instead of the 3 you recommend, and it was just fine. Served with vanilla ice cream. Boom shakalaka. AND I blew the pie crust but kept my mouth shut. No one noticed. ❤️❤️❤️
I made this pie last night. The only change I made was to use 1.6 ounces of tapioca starch instead of cornstarch and flour. I did not use lemon zest or lemon. Fabulous and set up perfectly.
Just made two of these! Can’t wait to try them!
This was perfect in every way. My confidence in your recipes is the max! FYI, I make a similar crust- chilled shortening and frozen butter, but for the liquid I add an egg yolk and a splash of white vinegar to my ice water. Seems to increase the tenderness and flakiness of the crust. Looking forward to trying vodka though. I also mix in a cuisinart which I think does the job very quickly, minimizing time of handling.
I just made this–it was really an excellent pie! Not too sweet, and the crumble top was divine. And it was definitely not soupy; the flour/cornstarch mixture actually kind of stayed around the berries (didn’t cook out). But other than that, it was perfection! I got rave reviews.
This is a fantastic recipe. I have never made a “pretty pie” because the top crust is so elusive; the crumble topping solves this problem. I used 2 lb of frozen blueberries and followed the recipe as written except for the addition of 1/4 tsp of cardomom to the filling. Great flavor. It was the best blueberry pie ever.
Went blueberry picking this morning and made this! It is heavenly! So light, a perfect summer dessert. It was easy to make also. Can’t wait to make it again.